I was finally able to get blood sample for first time to test Ziggy. I got a very ominous message of HI. Using Relion Prime meter. He is on Novalin 2 units twice daily . Still having problems getting him to eat food that's low carb, he is a dry food addict. He has an initial blood screen of over 600 at the first visit after his bloodwork came back from lab. If I don't give him what he wants to eat, he won't eat at all and I can't dose him. Only on insulin about 12 days. Please advise!
At what point in the cycle was the HI reading? I don’t have experience with Novalin, so I’ll let others comment on dosing, but I wanted to chime in and tell you to take a deep breath, We will help you get Ziggy on track! For feeding, what are you feeding? If he’s a kibble addict, try crushing a small amount of the kibble and sprinkling it on top of the low carb wet food. You can also try adding some Forti Flora as many cats cant resist it. Here are some other ideas https://catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf
I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean by cycle. He had food and his shot this morning, so I tested about 5 or 6 hours past that. It's the very first time I have been successful getting a drop to test, because he was resisting so much. I am feeding friskies and FF. He has always been a nibbler, so he comes and goes to the food. He has lost over half of his weight. I feel like I'm not helping him at all at this point. It's all so overwhelming , but I love him and want to do what is best. I know another type of insulin would have been better, but I cannot afford it.
ok, one cycle is 12 hours, so 2 cycles/day. Your test was at +5 or 6 in the cycle (5 or 6 hours after the shot). Youre doing a great job! There’s a lot to learn and when you love your baby as you do, it’s scary too. Please don’t get too upset over one number. Will you be able to get a test before his next shot? If we know what he is before the shot, then get a few tests a couple hours after it will tell us more. I’ll tag @Kris & Teasel as she is great at explaining things!
Would you please edit your signature to reflect the correct insulin and what kind of food he is getting. You could type it out like this: Ziggy 12 y.o M (put his weight here)|Dx 11/18/2018|2U Novalin N 2xday|FF&Friskies|(put where you are, like the state so we know what time zone you are in) I know you are worried about the BG numbers, but you are going to get help and good advice. Big hug!
I will make every effort to get another test. Yes, it is scary! So far he is acting just fine, and seems to be drinking alot less than before beginning insulin. It's just hard watching your fur baby looking so poorly. He was over 21 pounds , now 9 pounds. This weight loss happened fast, just over a time. Sometimes I am unable to get him to eat enough to give a dose.
My cat had lost a lot of weight too when he was diagnosed. We will help you get him on track. I have some extra Forti Flora packets that I could send you if you’d like to try them. They really helped my cats appetite! Send me a PM if you’re interested.
There is an organization DCIN (Diabetic Cats In Need) that might be able to help with insulin and supplies. You can PM (private conversation) Chris & China to see how to make application. They may be able to help with funding for Lantus for Ziggy.
How to Start a Conversation with another member (or members) If you want to have a private conversation with another member (or members), you can do it two ways: Inbox menu Hover over the Inbox menu at the top right of any page. Click the link that says “Start a Conversation”. Add participants by typing their usernames – matching names will auto-populate as you type. Create a conversation title (subject line) and your message. You’ll have access to the same tools as you have when creating posts. You can give conversation participants the ability to invite others, if that’s something you want (will be unchecked by default). From a thread Click on a user’s name within any thread. On the resulting profile pop-up, click on “Start a Conversation”. To follow existing conversations, check your Inbox. You can change the settings for who can start a Conversation with you by going to your profile and then "Privacy" and scroll down to the "People Who May..." section.
Use the info I gave you on starting a conversation in Post #13 above. It's also called a PM or private message. Sharon14 sent you a PM she said. Did you see the little red flag on your Inbox up in the right hand corner of the page? Just click on it to open the conversation with Sharon14.
Got it, thanks. I'm a bit frazzled and on information overload . Also still learning to navigate this forum .
No worries, we all understand the info overload! And finding your way around the board can be a bit daunting too. Please don't fret about that, it will all come to you. Deep breaths Barbara, we are all behind you and want very much to help you help Ziggy feel better. Then you will feel better too. Don't forget to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others.
No luck with bg test tonight, the one good drop of blood I got, he promptly flipped in my face while I was messing with the monitor; it had timed out on me. He ate, and I gave his dose anyway since it's running so high anyway .
I’ve had that happen! Once I accidentally hit a vein so there was a lot of blood when Colin shook his head. I had blood spattered walls One thing you can try is getting the drop of blood on your fingernail. You can test it from there.
Did you get my mailing information? I sent it this morning. Tried to yesterday, but guess you didn't get it. I sent it pm.